A Temerarious Existence

Bhindi is the Indian term for okra, and Indians also refer to okra as “ladyfingers”.

I hate okra, but it is my husband’s favourite, so I use this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s “Khazana of Indian Recipes”. Usually I use his recipes as a basis for a dish and make the dish my own, but in this case it is straight from the book, with no improvisations…

-= Ingredients =-

1 pound Okra
2 large Onions
3 - 4 Serrano chiles, chopped
4 tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon Amchur powder
Salt to taste

-= Instructions =-

Peel and chop the onions, and then wash and chop the chilies.

Wash and thoroughly dry the bhindi. Cut both the ends off and chop into even pieces.

Heat oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, and when they are done sputtering, add the onions and sauté until they are light golden. Add the green chilies and sauté them for half a minute.

Add the bhindi, and then add the red chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder one at a time, stirring in each thoroughly before adding the next.

Cook covered over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add salt and amchur powder during the process.

When bhindi is almost cooked, finish by cooking it on high flame for two minutes.

Serve with roti or chapati or any other flat bread.

-= The Fine Print =-

To prepare okra, you must thoroughly wash and dry it, else it is a sticky mess as you are trying to chop it. I cheat and by the frozen bags at the Indian grocery store.

If the spices start to stick to the bottom, add a bit of water to scrape it off. Be careful, this dish is not a gravy dish and you want to add just enough to take the spices off the bottom, not to make a gravy.

Amchur powder is mango powder, and you can find it at Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can substitute a small amount of lemon or lime juice in the recipe. Amchur is very bitter, but in a tasty, sour candy sort of way…

I may hate this, but the husband goes mad for it. Maybe someday I will develop a taste for it…

-= Nutritional Information =-

Serving Size: 1 serving
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving

Calories: 199
Calories from fat: 125 (63% of tot cal)

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbo 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 5g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 99% Vitamin C 73%
Calcium 14% Iron 17%

February seems like a lifetime away, not only from this blog but in my life.

February. Who knew when I posted my last post that less than one week later I would be engaged, and then two days after that I would get news that would change my life (as if marriage itself wasn’t a big enough change).

For an American marrying a desi (yes, the same one who I have written about here who broke my heart), the first major adjustment is the marriage date. It is not a date of our choosing, but a date the astrologer picks for us, per Hindi tradition. Our date was set for 9 weeks from the engagement - a prospect that would be terrifying except that I have never wanted a wedding and he agreed with me that it would be small, quiet, and cheap.

But, two days later we find that we have a major pest control problem. Not only at his house, but at mine. Bedbugs. If you know nothing about bedbugs, come back later when I start the bedbug journal. The best description of bedbugs I heard was from a friend who once had them, he pointed out that the problem with bedbugs is that when they move in they don’t want to leave. Getting them to leave has cost us over $10,000, and changed everything about how we live…

The initial steps to take care of the bugs took all of our time and left us with only two weeks to plan a marriage. That is little time, even for a small, quiet and cheap wedding. And, we pulled it off, an absolutely beautiful day, and now I write as a very tired wife that married life is everything we thought it would be, and the hard work of fighting bugs and setting up a house and learning to live with each other is challenging, difficult, and wonderful beyond words.

I didn’t move into his home until our wedding night, which explains why I have been gone so long. Combining households is difficult enough. Doing it at an age when most people are celebrating big anniversaries with numbers that end in “0″ is another challenge. Things you don’t face when you marry in your twenties, trying to figure out what to do with two Dysons, two sets of expensive furniture, two large libraries, etc., is more work than I could have imagined. To do so with my compulsive cleaning issues almost drove the both of us to the edge. His having to learn to live with the money-pit (Mu’Ammar, my cat) left me at times feeling like a mother trying to adjust her children to a new step-father. Add to that my other compulsion to have a regimented schedule, and it has been weeks until I felt settled enough to check email, talk on the phone, or blog.

But, the house is settled. I have a schedule. The cat is now his, they have bonded and now share all their spare time (when both aren’t sleeping) together. All is beautiful. And, I’m back.

This Tuesday Timepass is brought to you by the SoBe Air Guitar Classic!!!

Tenacious B, her wonderful husband M, and one of his Improv collaborators are hosting the South Beach Air Guitar Classic contest in, well, South Beach. Continue Reading »

This installment of Monday Movie Madness is dedicated to a film I watched in December and submitted to the PFCRonin contest. I waited to post this until after the contest had ended, and as the results were announced on Saturday I am now posting my entry - a review of Taare Zameen Par.

It feels strange to announce here that I am the PFCRonin, I joined for fun, just to see if I could compete, and a competition it was. All the reviews were great, and there were three reviewers who rocked my world and made me work very, very hard on every review I submitted for each round. Praveen, Satish and Shantesh, you guys rock.

So, here it is, the review of Taare Zameen Par… Continue Reading »

Just found this picture while clearing up my overlooked mailbox.

I didn’t blog about my trip to Pittsburgh last October because there was nothing to blog about.

But, did snap this classic picture.

This is something I can’t imagine ever seeing in California, a Chocolate Martini garnished with a Ding Dong!!! I don’t think I got drunk drinking this, it was more of a sugar high…

The picture is bad because it was taken in the dark using a mobile phone. I promptly emailed it to those who I thought would appreciate it, and the best response back was this, “That is so wrong. I know that trailer trash is somewhat chic, but even this pushes the boundaries.”

I agree…

My poor, neglected blog. Have been sick with one thing or another since Christmas and too depressed to pay attention to the computer. Yet, being sick and depressed means that I have spent plenty of time watching films!!! So, I decided to do a Monday Movie Madness on Tuesday since I haven’t been on the Internet enough to collect information for a Tuesday Timepass… Continue Reading »

It has been a while since I have done a Tuesday Timepass. But, life is busy. Zombie Farm is gearing up for distribution. The SoCal Independent Film Festival Call for Entries has been announced. PFCRonin is kicking into gear. I am trying to feel better.

But, the holiday season kicked off with this great gem of a Christmas Card, courtesy of Aniktwo!

And, have been checking out this great blog, Pie v. Cake. If you love to bake, you must check this out. Too bad I have lost the Pie v. Cake fight. I am on the cooking side of the Cooking v. Baking argument. You know, the old saying that one who cooks can’t bake, and one who bakes can’t cook. Well, I can’t bake! That said, there are a couple of recipes here I want to try, and a great post on an ode to dessert in England. Haven’t commented, but I should. I too am in love with the way the Brits do dessert…

I am a latecomer to social networking, and I really don’t care too much about it, but this livejournal group keeps me coming back for more. Really, the whole LOL movement is beyond me, although some of the LOL Cats are cute, but this site is freaking hilarious. LOL Social Theorists. I have spit liquids out of my nose many times laughing hard at this site while drinking coffee or milk…

So, this post should be more exciting, but at least if you clicked some of the links you either got the chance to spend money, laugh, or get a new recipe. Promise to be more interesting in the future…

So, the instead of feeling better, I just keep feeling worse. And, now it is cold and rainy to top it off.

Check the email, and find this link.

Oh yeah, I should warn you, the video is seriously fucking disturbing, but the comments are laugh-out-loud priceless.

Then, go to see it (or not) on youtube here. Really, don’t watch it again because it is so disturbing. Just look at the rest of disturbing related videos. I agree with the person who said that winters are really too long in Canada.

Then, in the seriously amazing department, is this, a gem from the 90s, before CCA PSA’s turned to gore:

There are so many good things happening to me this week that I shouldn’t feel so depressed. The disturbing video above that led me to a fun childhood memory that is taking the edge off the blues for now. There are a ton of Canadian PSAs to watch tonight…

A really yummy and spicy Indian rice with peas. I am always proud of this dish, I made this for a friend because it is his favourite, and it has his seal of approval, so you know it is good Continue Reading »

We have just announced the Call for Entries for the 4th Annual SoCal Independent Film Festival!

The event dates this year are September 9 - 14, 2008.

The Submission Deadlines:

Submission Deadlines for Movies
Shorts * Features * Documentaries * Videos
Earlybird: Dec. 03, 2007 - March 12, 2008
Regular: March 13 - June 01, 2008
Late: June 02 - June 16, 2008

Submission Deadlines for Screenplays
Short Form * Long Form
Earlybird: Dec. 03, 2007 - Feb. 10, 2008
Regular: Feb. 11 - April 30, 2008
Late: May 01 - June 04, 2008

In April 2008, we will be starting our Outdoor Screening Series at the Bella Terra Shopping Center in Huntington Beach! Any family-friendly film submitted to the SoCal will be also considered to be shown at an Outdoor Screening!

This year we expect to screen more than 100 movies, have 50 screenplay semi-finalists, and 10,000 attendees!

For details and submission information, visit the SoCal Independent Film Festival Page.

Click here for information on submission deadlines, rules, and other entry information.

Come on down and we’ll see you at the SoCal!